The Big Ten League
by CaptainPrice
Summary: When a wide receiver's career comes to a grinding halt, he is not sure what to do next. Colin Campo, a Junior at UW Madison, is approached by his coach and presented with an opportunity that will allow him to represent his alma mater in a different way. Having little knowledge on Pokémon and battling, can he become a Pokémon Champion? Accepting OCs, check inside for details.
1. A New Beginning

**Hey everybody. I know I am awful for starting another story while working on so many others, but this one will not leave my head. It is an OC story that will be using the real world to make it unique. This story is a side project and will not be focused on as much and will only be updated when I get the muse for it. For information on the OC acceptance, read the bottom of the chapter, CAREFULLY for the rules. Now without further delay, let's hop to it.**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

The twenty-one year old man stood in the center of the field as he glanced around the empty stadium. Many memories flooded his head from the time of being a kid and coming to see the football games with his father and then actually playing for the team. Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers, was truly a sight to behold for all football fans, regardless of their team affiliation. Whether it was from the actual games or even the student section that always entertained the crowd throughout the game, Camp Randall was a home for all football fans.

The young man had a small smile on his face as he glanced around the stadium again. Never again would he be able to step on the field as a Wisconsin Badger after the last game he played. During the first game of the season when they played against Arizona State, he caught a fifty-yard pass and was running to the end zone before falling to the ground in pain. He left the game early and found out that he tore his ACL which took him out for the rest of the season and effectively ended his football career as a Wisconsin Badger. The boy was devastated as he would never be able to continue playing his favorite sport and he would never be able to have the chance to go to the pros.

Even though he could not play football again, he was still as devoted as ever to the sport. He would still show up to practice and support his teammates and conduct his rehab for his knee. It was because of his constant support and motivation that his coach pulled him aside to talk to him about another opportunity. He and Coach Henderson spent a good morning talking about pokémon and the chance to be a trainer for their school conference. When he was younger, the boy considered being a trainer, but thought he wasn't cut out to lead a team to victory and thus decided to be a follower and part of a team instead. Coach Henderson then informed him of his past experience as a trainer before becoming a football coach and told him that he got his skill by leading his own pokémon through his conference league.

Needless to say the boy was intrigued was an understatement. He was now eager to try being a trainer, despite the fact of not having much knowledge and experience about being one. He may not be able to play football anymore, but he could still be part of a team, and one that he led to be the best of all. His newfound interest would start in spring where he would take the semester off to compete in the Big Ten League gym run before participating in the Pokémon League, which would give him more than enough time to learn the ropes of being a pokémon trainer.

The boy yawned and gave a stretch as he looked around the field once again. The sun was beginning to rise and the stars started to vanish as the dark sky gave way to blue and orange. The boy could see his breath in the cold October air and shivered a little bit. His ears perked up after hearing some footsteps coming from behind him. Turning his head, the boy could see Coach Henderson walking up behind him.

For a man in his mid-forties, he truly did not look it. Coach Henderson still dressed as though he was a young man. He was wearing his trademark khaki pants, white polo and red Wisconsin Badger hat. His grey hair was hidden beneath his hat and his calm, brown eyes looked directly into the boy's.

"Campo, what are you doing out here so early, son?" Henderson asked.

"Nothing, sir," Campo replied as he turned to face him. "I just thought I would take another walk on the field."

Henderson nodded as he stopped beside Campo and tucked his hands in his pockets. He, too, glanced around the stadium with his former wide receiver and shared a moment of silence. He then clapped Campo on the shoulder and garnered his attention.

"So, are you nervous about those interviews with ESPN and the Pokémon Battle Network today?" Henderson asked.

"A little bit," Campo replied with a shrug. "Mainly because I think a lot of people will be surprised with my sudden change in sporting events."

"True. But you have an excuse for doing that."

Campo grimaced at the mention of his ACL injury and shook his head.

"I miss playing, sir," Campo said as he looked at him.

"I know you do, Campo, and believe me when I say that the team and I wanted you playing with us when we made the trip to the Rose Bowl this year," Henderson answered as he gave him a gentle pat.

"Don't you think it's a little early to make that call, sir?"

"Hey, the Badgers made it to the Rose Bowl the past three years. We will definitely make our fourth appearance and actually win it this time."

"I'll hold you to that, coach."

Henderson laughed and gave Campo another pat on the shoulder before nodding towards the locker room. The pair of them started walking off the field with nothing but the sound of their feet crunching on the ground.

"So what will you miss about the game?" Henderson asked.

"Just playing and being a part of the team, sir," Campo replied.

"Really? That's it?"

"Well, I guess I will really miss the "Jump Around" bit between the third and fourth quarter."

"Aha, that's the answer I was looking for."

Both coach and receiver shared a laugh as they entered the tunnel and went down to the locker room where the rest of the team was getting ready for morning practice.

* * *

Campo was standing in front of the mirror in his bathroom as he was tidying himself up for the upcoming interviews. He did a quick observation of himself before resuming his grooming. He stood at five foot eight, which was very small for a football player, but he was quick and nimble with his movements. His mixed complexion leaned more toward the darker side. His short, dark brown hair was currently in a fade style, and his dark brown eyes looked friendly, but held strength and confidence. While his body was not insanely muscular as others on the team, it was lean with it.

He finished dragging the razor across his face, shaving off the rest of his facial hair. After washing his face and drying it off, he grabbed the suit jacket that was hanging on the door. His khaki pants went well with the white shirt and black jacket. After struggling a little bit with his red tie, he was ready to go.

"Showtime," Campo said as he turned off the light and hurried out of the apartment.

* * *

The ESPN interview went fairly quick to Campo's surprise and he was grateful for it. Although he didn't mind interviews, he was nervous about being on live TV in front of millions of sports fans and his friends. He managed to keep his cool and answered each question that he was asked one at a time. Then the question he was waiting to be asked came to him and he already knew that everyone that was tuned in to the interview was ready for his update on his football future. Campo requested that all sports media kept his condition unknown so he could tell everybody himself.

"So, Colin, we're all waiting to hear about your condition after that nasty injury you got at the start of the season," Mike Carlson said as he leaned back in his chair.

"Well, Mike, as you know I wanted to tell everyone this personally, but so they can also find out what I have planned for the future," Colin replied.

"Right. Tell us the news."

"When I tore my ACL during the Arizona State game, it was not the first time I did it. Back in high school I blew out my knee during my sophomore year. As of now, I am out for the season and I will never be able to play again because I have taken too much damage to it. Even though I got the surgery, my knee is still going to be too unstable to play properly."

"Oh, man. Colin, I'm sorry to hear that."

"This leads me to my next point I wanted to bring up though."

"What was that?"

Colin was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Although my football career is over, I decided to take up being a pokémon trainer for our conference," Colin said as he looked at Mike.

"Interesting," Mike replied. "If you don't mind me asking, what made you decide to become a pokémon trainer?"

"I was talking to Coach Henderson about it after I tore my ACL. He saw that I still wanted to be part of the team, regardless of the fact that I can't play."

"That's right! He was a trainer before he became a coach."

"Right. So, when spring comes, I will take the semester off to compete in the Big Ten League and do the best I can to bring Wisconsin the title. Coach Henderson is an awesome guy and he has faith in me that I can lead a team to the top, so that's what I am going to do!"

Mike grinned and clapped his hands at Colin's words.

"That's good to hear, Colin!" Mike said. "I'm sure your teammates and the rest of the students will back you up on your decision."

"I hope so," Colin replied with a laugh.

"Well, you heard it all here! Colin Campo's football career may be over, but he will still carry on by being a pokémon trainer and representing the Badgers in the Big Ten League! We'll have to wait until spring to see what this former wide receiver can do as a pokémon trainer. Thank you for tuning in for this exclusive ESPN interview and stick around for SportsCenter coming up next."

* * *

The headlines on newspapers and sports media were about Colin's departure from the football team to join the pokémon trainer group for UW Madison. The bombshell dropped by the former wide receiver was met with mainly positive feedback and encouragement from the student body and the fans. A lot of people were upset to lose him as they thought that without him on the team, their chances of winning key games were not that great. Colin did his best to reassure the fans that the team would make it to the Rose Bowl again because he had faith in all of his teammates' capabilities and their track record was impressive.

_**"Just because I'm gone doesn't mean we won't make it,"**_ Colin said._** "I'm just a small part of something much bigger. There are other players more than capable of filling in my spot now that I can't play and if my hunch is right, it'll be my boy Franklin Campbell."**_

Colin took his eyes off the TV that was airing the tail end of the press conference he had with the Pokémon Battle Network and returned his focus to the stack of books that he bought from the University Bookstore. He spent the better part of the day trying to find the most informational books about pokémon so he could study and become familiar with the concepts of battling and raising them. Grabbing the top book, he sat down in his chair and propped his feet on top of the desk and began read.

_"It all starts here,"_ Colin thought as he picked up a highlighter.

* * *

**There you have it. The protagonist (Colin Campo) makes his debut and the plot of the story is unveiled. I hope this has garnered your interest and if not, I'll probably take the story down. Have a look below for the OC submission rules. I will update the status of the OCs on my profile page, so take a look at it every now and then to see who gets what for the slots available. The OC form is on my profile page.**

**OC Submission rules:**

**1.) DO NOT send an OC via review, by PM only. All submissions from anonymous viewers and authors alike in the review section will be deleted/ignored.**

**2.) Only one OC submission per person.**

**3.) Do not beg for me to give your OC screen time or give them more than one cameo. Doing so will only make me less likely to bring yours in. I will bring characters in when I feel it's appropriate to do so. **

**4.) There are only 12 slots for OCs. If you want to get it, you need to sell your OC to me by making them as fitting for the desired role as possible. I will only choose the OCs that I think are the best.**

**5.) FOLLOW THE FORM THE WAY IT IS ON MY PROFILE. Failure to do so is automatic disqualification. It's not hard to follow the form and I was way too lenient on this the last time. **

**6.) If you have any questions, PM me.**


	2. Receiver Turned Trainer

**Hey everybody! Quick update for the story as I decided that for this story I will try to utilize Coli-Chibi's method of updates by making small chapters to get them out quicker. Although don't expect a bunch of updates a week. I've got my own life and other priorities. I am still taking OCs, but I need gym leaders! Everyone that applied has gone for companion roles. If you choose gym leader you are guaranteed a spot, whereas rival and companions will only be reserved for the best submissions. While I'm at it, please choose other states of the Big Ten instead of Wisconsin from where your OC is from. All but two of the ones I received are from there.**

**Previously on The Big Ten League: Colin Campo announced the end of his college football career and his decision to represent UW Madison as a Pokémon trainer for the Wisconsin Badgers. Now that the time has come for Colin to start his journey, he heads to Bascom Hall to receive his first Pokémon from Professor Larmer. **

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions/Phone responses**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

The months zoomed by for Colin after he gave his announcement of quitting football. During that time, a few things happened, both positive and negative. The positives were that the Wisconsin Badgers made it to the Rose Bowl just as Coach Henderson said and they finally won it. Colin was able to attend the game and stand on the field with the team and did not hesitate to run on the field after they scored the winning touchdown at the last second. It truly was a magnificent feeling for the former receiver as he got to hold up the trophy for his team when it was presented to them. After the Rose Bowl, Colin passed his exam to become a Pokémon trainer and was given a date for his journey to start in mid-March.

The negative in the months that went by was the huge fight Colin and his father had. Shortly after he ended his football career, his father gave him a call and their discussion got heated. His father, Gary, was demanding to know why he gave up football as it was his only way of getting a ride through school because of his scholarship. Colin tried to explain his reasoning by saying that the doctor told him to stop because if he hurt his knee down the road again, it could lead to permanent damage. Gary of course brushed the excuse off saying that he never took the doctor's words to heart before. Colin then tried to explain that although his scholarship was for football, the administration was trying to transfer it over to being a Pokémon trainer. Once again, his words fell on deaf ears and Colin finally lost it. He could still remember the words he said and deep down he felt guilty for doing it since he knew his father was just concerned. However, his idea of concern was never conveyed properly and it always involved him asking what his plan was to rectify the problem after putting him in the spotlight when he knew that he had no plan.

**_"I'm asking you what your plan is to fix this situation, boy,"_** Gary said through the phone.

"I already told you! The administration was going to try and transfer my scholarship over to being a Pokémon trainer for them!" Colin retorted.

**_"The key word in that sentence is try. You can't put all your eggs in one basket. What happens if they can't do that? You're screwed, and you'll have to pay for your schooling out of your pocket and with your major, you'll be paying for a quite a while."_**

"If you are trying to motivate me, you are doing a crappy job."

_**"I'm just telling you what will happen. Your mother and I can't pay for your schooling. That's why we were so proud when you got that scholarship to play football and that's why I'm mad you decided to quit just because the doctor told you to."**_

"Tch, there's a couple of things wrong with that sentence."

_**"Excuse me?"**_

"One, you mean Mom was proud of me. You never said anything after I got it. Two, you never had the luxury of blowing out your ACL twice! It's very painful and if I can avoid permanent knee damage for the rest of my life I'll take it!"

_**"Don't give me that! You know damn well I was proud of you when you got that scholarship! What I see happening here is you being afraid of taking risks after the doctor told you that! That never stopped you when you played in high school!"**_

"Then why the hell didn't you say it to my face, huh? All I want to hear from you once in a while is "good job" or "I'm proud of you, Colin" but you never say it! By the way, it never stopped me in high school because I knew I was making you proud when I played the game and I couldn't stand the thought of you being disappointed in me if I quit. Now that I am trying to be my own man and make my own choices, you're getting pissed off!"

_**"I just don't want you to give up something you enjoy. I've seen you play the game and I know you love it. I saw the smiles you had when you played with your friends."**_

"You know what I think? I think you don't want me to quit because this is what you want. You never made something of yourself in college after high school and now that I succeeded in doing what you failed in, you're trying to live it through me."

There was a long pause as Colin waited for his father to speak on the other end of the line. Seconds ticked by and after his father failed to say something, Colin hung up. That conversation occurred a week after Colin ended his football career and that was the last time he spoke with his father.

* * *

Shaking his head with a sigh, Colin got up from his bed and gave a stretch. Today was the day he had to report to Professor Larmer to receive his first Pokémon and his gear to start the journey. He slung his bag over his shoulder and put on his grey hat with the signature big red W on the front. He exited his apartment and started walking down to the parking lot where his motorcycle was sitting. His phone vibrated as a call started to come through and he answered it quickly.

"Hello?" Colin answered.

_**"Hey honey, are you ready for your big day?"**_ Heather's voice replied through the phone.

Colin smiled at his mother's gesture of wishing him luck.

"Yeah, I'm heading over to see Professor Larmer now to get started," Colin said.

_**"Sounds like a good deal, bud. I'll be rooting for you honey and I know your father will be, too!"**_

"I find that a little hard to believe, but thanks, Mom."

_**"Honey, your father loves you. You know this. He's never been good at being the touchy-feely type of person."**_

"Yeah, well, I'll believe it when I hear those words from him myself."

_**"I'll try and talk to him for you. Anyway, good luck my number one son. Kick ass like you always do!"**_

"I will. Bye, Mom."

Colin smiled as he hung up and pocketed his phone. He could always rely on his mother to brighten his day with those little banters they shared. He got on his motorcycle and it roared to life as he turned the key and gave a loud growl as he sped out of the parking lot and towards Bascom Hall.

* * *

Professor Larmer was without a doubt an interesting person. Whether it was from his dry sarcasm or wit, it was always bound to be rather humorous if a student had a class with him. Colin was lucky to have two classes with the professor and found him to be his personal favorite out of all of them he came across throughout his college education. The old professor was wearing a white lab coat over a pair of green suspenders and an orange, long sleeve shirt. His glasses and his bald head were the most prominent features on his person.

Larmer took a sip of coffee as he eyed the clock, waiting for the last arrival to pick up his Pokémon. He turned back to the two students before him and saw that they were becoming impatient with waiting for the last member to show up.

"Well, I guess you two can choose your Pokémon and be on your way," Larmer said as he took another sip of coffee. "Surely you'd rather get out of here than wait and try to strike up some intelligent conversation with me, right?"

The two students shifted at the old professor's words and looked down at the ground. As Larmer chuckled at the reactions of the two students, the doors to the lab opened and revealed the latest arrival. He smirked as his eyes landed on one of his favorite students and he could not resist the urge to poke fun at his tardiness.

"Well, Colin, nice of you to join us. You're only ten minutes late," Larmer said with a smirk.

"Really?" Colin replied as he glanced at his watch. "Huh, I thought it was later than that. I'll have to try harder next time."

"Good to see you. Now if you can come over here, we can get this little meeting over with."

"Are you in a hurry today?"

"Why would I be in a hurry? I mean, it's Friday and it is such a beautiful day outside. There's nothing more I'd rather do than sit cooped up in my office all day."

Colin laughed and stood between the two other students that were giving him annoyed looks. The first student was a male who stood at a solid six feet tall. He had short, messy black hair, green eyes and a pale complexion. The second student was a female that stood a head shorter than Colin. Her face was oval shaped and her hair was long and light brown in color. Her body was lean with muscle which tipped Colin off that she was most likely on the rowing team.

"Now that Colin is here, I think it's time we get on with it," Larmer said as he set his mug down.

The three students nodded eagerly as Larmer walked over to a side counter and grabbed a cylindrical capsule that contained three round balls. He walked over to the three trainers and pressed a small button on the side of the capsule. A small hiss came from the device as the glass opened and left the Poké Balls open for the taking. The three students stood there and were eager to pick their first Pokémon to start their journey.

"Now, since a lot of the starter Pokémon have been taken already, I only have these three left. Choose wisely," Larmer said as he looked between the three of them.

"Which ones are left?" The male asked.

"The three that I have left are Charmander, Totodile and Chespin."

"All of them are good choices," Colin commented.

"Indeed. So, Colin Campo, Scott Fowler, Brianna Davis, it's time to choose your first Pokémon. Who do you want?" Larmer replied.

"Why don't we let Campo choose first?" Scott asked.

Colin looked at Scott for a brief second before looking at the three Poké Balls that contained the last three starters. Since October, Colin spent a lot of time studying everything he could about Pokémon ranging from types, abilities, the various moves they could learn, battling, to even raising them. Needless to say, he already had his choice in mind as his hand reached for the central ball. He picked it up from the capsule and stared down at it. Colin felt as though he could feel the power flowing into him and knew right then and there that he made the correct choice.

"Alright," Larmer said with a nod. "Scott, Brianna, you're up."

Brianna went next and grabbed the ball on the right while Scott grabbed the last ball on the left. Larmer sealed the capsule shut and placed it on his desk before picking up his coffee mug again. He then walked over to his side table once more holding three belts with Poké Balls on them and picked up three, small rectangular objects. He gave one of each to Colin, Scott and Brianna.

"I'm sure you already know what those balls are, so let's skip that bit," Larmer said. "Do any of you know what that red device is?"

"It's the Pokédex," Scott replied. "It records information on Pokémon seen or capture by the trainer."

"Impressive. Out of all the students that came through here, you're only the second one that got that right."

Scott shrugged off the compliment and pocketed his Pokédex and put on the belt that Larmer gave him. Brianna and Colin followed Scott's lead and were getting ready to leave the room to get a start on their journey.

"I trust you all know where the gyms are so you can start your badge run?" Larmer asked.

"Yes, we do," Brianna replied with a nod.

"Good. In that case, I wish you all luck. Remember. You all have my contact information if you need to get in touch with me."

The three of them nodded and Larmer picked up his bag and mug. He gave them a nod and departed the room, most likely to go read a newspaper in the park. Brianna was the first to break the silence between the three of them.

"Good luck," Brianna said with a smirk. "I'll have to battle both of you when we meet up again. I'm definitely looking forward to our match, Campo."

"I'll be happy to oblige," Colin replied with a smile.

Brianna smiled back and left the room, leaving Colin and Scott alone. With Scott remaining silent, Colin took that as his cue to leave and get on the road. His feet began to carry him to the exit but he stopped when he heard Scott call out to him.

"Campo, are you cut out for this?" Scott asked.

"What do you mean?" Colin replied.

"I mean that this isn't where your skills reside. You're an athlete, not a Pokémon trainer."

"It's never too late to try something new. Who are you to tell me I can't do something?"

"I call it as I see it. You're not cut out for this and it would be in your best interest to quit while you're ahead."

"Are you trying to get a rise out of me?"

Scott smirked down at Colin and was met with a glare in return.

"It's like I said. This is not your area of strength," Scott said again.

"I think you are full of it. I bet I'm a more capable trainer than you," Colin replied.

"Oh, yeah? Then how about we have a battle outside and I'll show you just how in over your head you are?"

"Bring it on."

Scott walked by Colin and bumped his side as he made his way to the door. Colin's eyes bore into Scott's back as he vanished from sight and his fists clenched. He already had a poor opinion of Scott and was more than eager to get back at him for insulting his potential as a Pokémon trainer. He looked down at the Poké Ball he was holding and then back to the door where Scott departed from. His first Pokémon battle was about to happen and he was excited to see just how well he would perform having no prior experience with Pokémon with the exception of his readings. Colin hurried to the front of Bascom Hall to face Scott outside.

* * *

Colin saw Scott was standing at the bottom of the staircase. They would have their battle at the top of Bascom Hill. It did not help that classes were finishing for students and the amount of traffic would limit their playing field for the fight. On top of that, the students would more than likely stop to watch the battle to see who was stronger.

Scott turned and smirked at Colin before pointing to the opposite end of the landing. Getting the message, Colin walked over to his side and set his bag down on the ground. He watched as Scott took his position and started tossing his Poké Ball up and down. The smirk on his face was still present and it made Colin even more determined to wipe it off his face by beating him in their battle. As they both stared each other down, the large masses of students going up and down the hill started to surround them to watch their exchange. The students started whispering with excitement and were beginning to take sides on who they wanted to win. Colin had lots of support, mainly due to the fact he was a former football player and had a lot of support and respect. Scott's support was mainly from people wanting to see an underdog undermine an alpha male.

"Last chance, Campo," Scott said. "Walk away right now and save yourself the humiliation, or get your ass kicked by me. What's it going to be?"

A lot of students jeered at Scott for being condescending and cheered for Colin as support to take the challenge and take him down. Colin, having a lot of ambition and being very stubborn growing up, was not one to back down from a challenge, especially if the person who was doing it was a bully. He glared at Scott, sending him his answer.

"Get real!" Colin retorted.

Scott chuckled and his smirk vanished as it was replaced with a look of concentration. He clutched the ball in his hand and wound his arm back and threw it into the center of the space they borrowed for their battle. Colin wasted no time and mimicked Scott's action as he threw his Poké Ball into the battlefield.

"Let's rock!" Colin hollered.

Both Poke Balls opened with a snap and two Pokémon began to materialize. The glows vanished and revealed the starters that the two rivals chose.

* * *

**Ah, cliffhanger! Next chapter Colin will face off against his newfound rival Scott. I also have yet to reveal who Colin chose as a starter. Who could it be, hmm? I will most likely introduce one of the submitted OCs next chapter as well. Bear in mind what I stated above. Anyway, that's all I had for you, so I'll see you next time. -CaptainPrice**


	3. Campo vs Fowler

**Yo, I'm here with another update. Thanks a bunch for the submissions and reviews, it means a lot. I still need OCs. Rivals and Gym-Leaders preferably. I still have not chosen the OCs for the companions because I'm not sure who I want to use. Now with Gym-Leaders, I need them so check my profile page on which ones are open, send me the team of four Pokémon with their moves. Their team can only consist of one third evolution and can be combined with at first and second evolutions. I can't have them overpowered because the new challenging trainers need a chance. Anyway, here's the chapter and I hope you all are ready to see the battle. On with the chapter!**

**Last time on The Big Ten League: Colin's relationship with his father was revealed to be strained and he went to Bascom Hall to get his starter. Upon receiving his starter, he met two potential rivals being Scott Fowler and Brianna Davis. Scott taunted Colin into a battle and now they are about to face off for the first time.**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions/Phone responses**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

The two Pokémon finished materializing in front of the large crowd and received a lot of cheers in the process. The battle was about to get underway and everyone was interested in seeing how Colin would adjust to being a trainer. In front of Colin was Charmander and in front of Scott was Totodile. The two Pokémon leveled each other with a sharp glare as they sent their intentions through it. Scott smirked and crossed his arms when he saw he had the type advantage.

"This fight is in the bag already. There's no way you will take me down by using a fire-type against me," Scott said.

"Don't be so sure," Colin said as he glared back. "Type advantage means nothing to those who know their Pokémon."

"You just picked out that Charmander. There's no way you know him inside out."

"Then why do you think I instantly chose him?"

Scott shrugged it off. He honestly was not sure why Colin chose Charmander off the bat. He just assumed Colin wanted to make a choice and didn't care which one he chose. Not dwelling on the thought any longer, Scott decided to get the battle going.

"Totodile, start with Scratch!" Scott barked.

"Charmander, dodge and use Ember!" Colin shouted back.

Totodile's was very fast with his movements and already on Charmander when Colin finished his order. He gave a vicious swipe at Charmader who watched the movement closely. Charmander's keen eye proved successful as he sidestepped the attack and watched as Totodile lost his balance and stumbled forward. He then opened his mouth and took a deep breath before releasing it, sending a small ball of fire at Totodile. The small fireball hit Totodile in the back and made him hunch over in pain.

Students cheered as Colin managed to get the first hit of the fight, but Colin knew the fight was far from over. He analyzed the situation before him and knew that his attack barely did any damage to Totodile. He was betting on Scott to use Totodile's strongest attack when he would not be able to counter it and that was the case, the fight would end with him losing. Personally, Colin did not care if he won or lost the fight. It was his first battle and the only way for him to get better was to lose and he was having too much fun by experiencing it firsthand.

"Use Scratch again!" Scott yelled.

"Charmander, you Scratch back!" Colin barked.

Charmander jumped at Totodile and brought his hand down for a slash, but Totodile evaded the attack by staying nimble. After Totodile dodged the attack, he jumped at Charmander and his claws raked across his face. Charmander's eyes screwed shut as he dealt with the pain and he raised his arms to defend himself from another hit. Scott saw this and wasted no time for a follow-up attack.

"Use Water Gun!" Scott shouted.

"Charmander, use Ember!" Colin countered.

Totodile took a deep breath with Charmander doing the same. Both of them released their attacks and sent them for each other. The jet of water met the small ball of fire that Charmander sent and there was a loud hiss as the water extinguished the fiery attack. A small veil of steam was created and it surrounded both Charmander and Totodile.

"Charmander, stay alert!" Colin warned.

"Seek Charmander out, Totodile! Don't give him time to rest!" Scott ordered.

Colin could not see Charmander through the thick steam and that added to his disadvantage. Totodile had the type advantage and now he was more than capable of dealing a hit while staying concealed since his element was shrouding him. Colin could only hope Charmander could dodge long enough until the mist cleared up. It did not help that he was losing focus with all the cheering students.

"Charmander, try to sharpen your senses and dodge as long as you can! I'll come up with another idea! You can do it!" Colin encouraged.

Meanwhile, inside the mist, Charmander could hear his trainer's command and was more than willing to follow his order to the best of his ability. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly, he started to tune out all the distracting factors. The student's cheers faded, his concentration increased, his heartbeat slowed and he managed to get a feel for the field. Charmander's head perked up as he detected something move to his left. Staying calm, he waited for the movement again. His eyes snapped open when he heard something from behind.

Charmander jumped to his right and narrowly avoided Totodile's claws. He opened his mount and fired another ball of fire at Totodile. His aim was spot on and he smirked when Totodile stopped dead in his tracks in surprise. He lunged at Totodile with his claws raised and gave two quick scratches. Each set of claws dragged across Totodile's back and earned a yelp of pain from him. Totodile fought through the pain and spun on his foot with his claws bearing down on Charmander. Once again, his sharp nails scraped his face and stunned him. Charmander scrambled back and rubbed his face in pain. This proved to be a mistake. Totodile took a deep breath and fired another Water Gun and Charmander and the jet of water crashed into his stomach and sent him into the air.

Charmander hit the ground and rolled out of the mist, coming to a stop at Colin's feet. His body trembled in shock and pain from the hard hit and he was doing everything he could to get up and continue fighting. The mist finally cleared up and Totodile stood there with his arms crossed and his razor-sharp teeth visible in a cocky grin, similar to his trainer's.

"Is that all you got, Campo?" Scott taunted. "I'm disappointed in your performance. Although I guess it's not all your fault, especially for choosing a weak Pokémon."

"Scott, I can tolerate a lot of things, but what you just said crossed the line," Colin said with a glare.

"Oh, yeah? What was that?"

"You can insult me and my skills as a trainer all you want. But don't you ever insult my Pokémon!"

"I call it as I see it. You two are not in sync like me and Totodile are and it's because of that, you will lose."

Colin's fists clenched tightly as his anger rose at Scott's prodding. He took a deep breath in an attempt to get a grip of his emotions before looking at Charmander. Charmander managed to push himself up to one knee as he struggled to stand. His eyes locked with Colin's for a few seconds and in that stare, they had a connection. Their minds were thinking the same thing. "Let's get this dirtbag." Charmander pushed himself up into a standing position and glared at Totodile who looked ready for more.

"Let's do this, Charmander! You can do it!" Colin cheered.

"Guess he's not completely weak after all," Scott mused as he stared at Charmander.

Colin felt in sync with Charmander as they both stared down their opponents and was filled with renewed fire. They were on the home stretch and still had time to turn the battle around. Charmander flexed his claws and raised his head before giving a loud roar.

"Charmander, use Leer!" Colin shouted.

"Totodile, use Scratch!" Scott barked.

Totodile charged at Charmander and was closing the gap fast, but he came to a grinding halt when Charmander lowered his head and sent him a piercing glare. The stare was enough to make Totodile take a cautious step back and Colin took the chance.

"Now use Ember!" Colin continued.

Charmander released another ball of fire that was larger than the last one he fired and it smashed into Totodile's face. Totodile clutched his face in pain and hunched over, but gave another cry of pain as a plume of fire surrounded him. The burn status was now in effect and that was the main thing Colin was aiming for to possibly secure his victory.

"Yes!" Colin said as he punched the air in excitement.

"Look up and use Water Gun!" Scott hollered.

Totodile fought through the burn and aimed his mouth skyward. The jet of water soared high into the air and began to shower the area, extinguishing the burning column of fire that surrounded him. Once the sprinkle died out, Charmander and Totodile charged at each other to engage in close quarters once again.

"Scratch, now!" Scott and Colin shouted.

Totodile and Charmander gave their own slash and skidded away, holding the side that got hit with the claws.

"Again!" Scott barked.

"Charmander, block it!" Colin shot back!

Charmander stayed put as Totodile ran at him with a set of claws ready to slice into him. When Totodile was just about to enter his space, Charmander spun and swung his tail, wrapping it around Totodile's arm and stopping the attack completely.

"What?" Scott said in surprise.

"Now use Scratch!" Colin ordered.

Charmander gave a hard tug with his tail and brought Totodile in close before giving a vicious hack. His claws cut into Totodile's snout and his nostrils flared in response to the stinging hit.

"Toss him!" Colin shouted.

"Totodile, don't let him throw you!" Scott yelled.

Charmander spun around and was about to release Totodile and send him airborne, but that was not to be. Totodile managed to keep his feet planted into the ground and his strong jaw clamped around Charmander's tail. Charmander let out a loud cry of pain as Totodile's teeth sunk in deep.

"I think it's time to repay the favor for that trick," Scott said as he glanced skyward. "Totodile, throw Charmander up!"

Totodile managed to keep his footing and tossed his head as hard as he could to lift Charmander. His teeth released Charmander after he got him off the ground and sent him into the air. The amount of strength Totodile had to toss Charmander high into the air caught Colin off guard.

"Finish it with Water Gun!" Scott shouted.

"Charmander, intercept it with Ember!" Colin countered.

Charmander managed stop somersaulting in the air and steadied himself to aim at Totodile before his descent. Totodile released the intake of breath he had and fired another strong jet of water right where Charmander would start falling. Charmander built up his power and just as the water was about to hit him, he released a breath and fired the largest fireball he gave all day. Both attacks met midair and stopped for a second before the jet of water passed through the fire with a hiss and continued for Charmander. Charmander's eyes went wide and he crossed his arms to shield himself from the blast.

The attack hit Charmander in the belly and got a loud cry from him as he was sent plummeting to the ground. Colin, not wanting his partner to get hurt any further, ran into the field and jumped up high with both of his hands up. Just like he caught passes in the past, he caught Charmander and tucked him into his chest before his feet touched the ground. Charmander's eyes flickered and slowly opened. The look on his face was one of defeat and shame.

"Are you okay, buddy?" Colin asked as he looked down at him.

Charmander shifted his gaze and looked down at the ground and Colin could easily tell he felt he failed him. A collective groan came from the students when Colin caught Charmander, knowing he lost the fight. They broke into cheers though for a battle well fought.

"I knew I made the right choice when I chose you," Colin said as he gently rubbed Charmander's head.

Charmander's eyes met his and a smile formed on his face. While the two of them shared their moment, Scott recalled Totodile to his ball and crossed his arms as he looked at them. He smirked and gave a chuckle as he saw the interaction between the two of them, garnering their attention.

"What's so funny?" Colin asked.

"You and that Charmander of yours," Scott said as he nodded at them. "I told you what would happen, yet you refused to give up."

"One thing you will learn about me is that no matter what life throws at me, I will meet it head on and never give up if it knocks me on my ass."

Scott let out a laugh and shook his head.

"Whatever, but this brings us back to my original point. You are an athlete, not a trainer. Quit while you're ahead," Scott said.

"Not happening. You're fighting a losing battle by telling me to give up," Colin retorted.

"I see you've made the choice to humiliate yourself and our school. Fine with me, Campo. Just keep in mind that these students around you are your fans, not your friends. The second you do something to anger them, you will lose them quicker than you did this battle. Maybe that will be the wakeup call you need to quit this stupid goal of yours."

"I could say the same for you. You just made some fans by beating me, so be sure to remember your words."

Scott just gave a shrug and turned to leave. As he was about to cut through the crowd, he glanced back at Colin and decided to throw one more poke at him.

"I have to give you some credit for the battle as you did hold out longer than I anticipated. Although with as weak as that Charmander is, it'll be a miracle if you make it far in your journey at all," Scott said.

"Fowler, turn around!" Colin yelled with anger.

The students who knew Colin on a personal level knew that he would never address someone by their last name unless he was really pissed with them. Scott was a little thrown off when Colin addressed him by his last name and rolled his eyes and turned around to look at him and Charmander. He saw Colin holding Charmander by his armpits and glaring at him.

"Take a good look at my Charmander's face," Colin said. "You can celebrate this victory, but look at this face. This is the face of the Pokémon that will take you and your team down when the time comes!"

Scott glanced at Charmander's eyes and could see the vengeful look in them. He narrowed his eyes and returned Colin's stare with his own.

"Looking forward to it," Scott sneered.

With that, Scott turned on his heel and vanished into the crowd of students. Colin held Charmander as their gazes bore into Scott's retreating form.

"Don't listen to a single thing he said. You did great," Colin whispered to Charmander. "We will be the stronger one next time."

* * *

The students cheered and were shouting words of encouragement and praise to Charmander for a fight well done. Charmander's sad look was replaced with one of happiness at the words of kindness he was getting. It got even better when some girls came and gave him some gentle pets and hugs.

"He's so cute!" A girl said.

"Aw, can I hold him, Colin?" Another asked.

Colin obliged and carefully handed Charmander to the girls that wanted some time to hold him. As the large crowd of girls continued playing with Charmander, Colin delved into his thoughts and reflected on Scott's words. His fists clenched with frustration and he took a deep breath to calm himself down. He was broken from his thoughts when he someone address him. Turning to his side he saw Brianna standing there with a look of concern.

"Are you okay?" Brianna asked.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to calm down after Fowler got me riled up," Colin replied.

"I can't blame you. He had no right to say that, especially after you put a lot of pressure on him in your battle."

"Thanks."

The girls handed Charmander back to Colin who took him with a smile. Now that the crowd thinned out after the battle, it felt nice to get some space for himself. Brianna smiled and gently pet Charmander's head.

"I have to say you did pretty well for your first battle, Campo," Brianna said.

"Thanks, I appreciate the compliment," Colin replied.

"No problem, I'm full of them."

Brianna stroked Charmander's head again and looked at him.

"Don't feel bad, okay? You did great and you will only get stronger from here on out," Brianna said to Charmander.

Charmander merely nodded at Brianna's words and nuzzled her hand as she continued to pet him. Brianna gave Charmander one last pet before standing up.

"Well, I would like to stay and chat but I got to get a move on. I'm on my way to Minnesota for the first badge," Brianna said.

"How are you traveling?" Colin asked.

"I have a motorcycle, although it's not as cool as yours."

"Sweet. I'll have to check it out sometime."

"For sure. Hey, what's your number?"

Colin raised an eyebrow at the sudden question to which Brianna rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"No, I'm not going to ask for a date. I just want it so maybe we can meet up and have a battle sometime on the road," Brianna said with a laugh.

"Yeah, sure," Colin replied as he waited for Brianna to pull out her phone.

After Brianna pulled out her phone, Colin gave her his number to which she entered the digits into it. She in turn gave him her number so he could identify her when she was calling.

"Alright, that takes care of that," Colin said as he pocketed his phone.

"Yep. I'll see you on the road, Campo!" Brianna replied as she walked down the hill towards Park Street.

"Later!"

Colin looked down at Charmander and pulled out his Poké Ball. He smiled down at his partner and received one in return.

"I'm proud of you buddy. Now, let's get you fixed up and we can hit the road. How does that sound?" Colin said.

"Char!" Charmander replied with a nod.

Colin recalled Charmander to his ball and clipped it to his belt as he made his way to the parking lot. He saw his black motorcycle sitting there and shining brightly from the sunlight. He hopped on and turned the key. The cycle roared to life and gave a loud rumble as Colin revved it and sped off into Park Street and continued south down the road.

* * *

**So that's the chapter. Colin and Scott's battle ended with Colin being defeated, but it is his first step into his career as a Pokémon trainers for the Wisconsin Badgers. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I will attempt to update again as soon as I can. Remember to keep checking my profile page to see what positions have been filled and who got what. **


	4. The First Capture

**Hey everybody, I'm here with another update. I'm still taking OCs and if you have not been tracking on my profile I am only taking three more females and five more males. Those who would like to submit, do so like I explained in the rules and I will decide whether or not I will use your OC. I'm sure for the most part the ones who submitted won't be reading anyway, but that's what I wanted to tell you. Anyway, on with the chapter where I introduce the first OC submission.**

**Last time on The Big Ten League: Colin had his first battle with his newfound rival Scott Fowler. Both trainers fought hard but in the end, Scott prevailed in the battle and won, leaving Colin and Charmander with no kind words. However, Colin's defeat just made his determination grow and now he is in the process of thinking what Pokémon he wants on his team.**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions/Phone responses**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

Colin had made excellent time since he left Madison to start his journey. His first job was to head to Milwaukee to turn in his papers to finish his registration for the Big Ten League and then he would have to turn around and head to Minnesota for the first badge. He was already on his way back to Madison and trying his best to evade the afternoon commute. The traffic was proving to be slow and Colin was starting to grow bored with waiting. He could see an off ramp a little up the highway and made his decision. He would pull off the road and wait for the traffic to lessen before heading back. Reaching the ramp, Colin sped down it and turned off the side road to look for a place to stretch his legs. He continued driving for another mile before he saw an open field and pulled into it.

Getting off his cycle, Colin stretched and walked into the field. He pulled out the Pokédex from his pocket. In order to fill it up he would have to catch and see Pokémon he came across. Being a competitive person and wanting to have the best success possible, Colin had spent the earlier months analyzing team possibilities. He would want a very balanced team that would not have a clear disadvantage against one type. He had made a bunch of roster possibilities if he could come across the Pokémon he was looking for with his starter being Charmander. His eyes scanned the field for any sign of movement and he could see some flying-type Pokémon taking off and landing in the tall grass.

Colin pulled out Charmander's ball and tossed it in the air, summoning him to the field. Charmander gave a stretch and looked around at the new environment he was exposed to. He was very curious about his surroundings and started to walk towards the grass.

"Charmander, hold on one second," Colin said as he put the Pokedex away.

"Char?" Charmander replied as he looked back at him.

"We're going to try and catch a Pokémon for our team. Not only will it get us started off on the right foot, but you will have another friend to train and play with."

"Char!"

Charmander smiled and nodded as he took another look around the field to find a potential Pokémon to battle and add to the team. His eyes caught sight of a tail vanishing into the grass and he pointed it out to Colin who looked up from watch.

"What's up buddy? Did you see something?" Colin asked.

Charmander nodded and pointed straight ahead where he saw the tail of a Pokémon disappear. Colin nodded and started creeping up to the grass with Charmander following close behind. He looked down at Charmander and pointed into the field and he went in first. The pair of them were quiet to avoid alerting their target and their footsteps were almost nonexistent. Colin stopped Charmander from trekking and further and took a knee. He put a finger to his lips and Charmander nodded as he waited for the plan.

"Charmander, there's a small opening in the grass here. Go check it out and come back to me," Colin whispered.

Charmander nodded and crept into the grass, careful to remain undetected. He came to a stop and poked his head out of the grass and his eyes landed on the Pokémon he saw earlier. It was yellow and it had a lightning bolt-shaped tail. From what he could tell, the Pokémon had not detected their presence and that was good as it allowed him to get the jump. With his job done, Charmander hurried back to Colin with an excited look on his face.

"Did you find him?" Colin whispered.

Charmander nodded and Colin got on his stomach and started crawling up to the opening. He stopped and pulled out his Pokédex to identify the Pokémon that Charmander found. He looked at Charmander who pointed to the yellow Pokémon he spotted and Colin pointed his Pokédex at it.

_**"Pikachu, the mouse Pokémon. It raises its tail to check its surroundings. The tail is sometimes struck by lightning in this pose. It has electric sacs on both cheeks and if threatened, releases electric charges from the sacs,"**_ Dexter informed.

Colin tucked the device away after he received the information. Luck was on his side as he found one of his potential Pokémon of interest to create his team. He and Charmander continued watching the Pikachu as it sat there munching on a berry.

_"Okay, if memory serves me right, this guy is more of a speed demon and he has the static ability that can paralyze a Pokémon on contact,"_ Colin thought. _"I have a better chance at using ranged attacks to avoid paralysis, but he could easily dodge them."_

As he sat there trying to come up with a plan, Charmander's excitement was growing to the point he wouldn't be able to contain it. Colin glanced out of the corner of his eye and could tell his partner was ready to fight and decided to oblige him.

* * *

"Let's get him. Start off with Ember," Colin whispered.

Charmander's mouth opened and a ball of fire began to form inside. He took aim and released the small fireball at Pikachu who had his back turned. As the ball got closer, Pikachu's ears twitched and he jumped to the right, evading the fiery attack. Colin cursed at his failed surprise attack and immediately went on the aggression.

"Charmander, charge Pikachu and use Ember!" Colin shouted.

If Colin could get Charmander inside Pikachu's space, he could hit Pikachu point blank with Ember and weaken him quicker. Pikachu were not known for their defensive capabilities and that helped Colin relax. Colin watched as Charmander ran at Pikachu all the while sending another fireball at him. Pikachu dodged the fire again and his cheeks crackled with electricity. Pikachu growled and released a small bolt of electricity at Charmander. The bolt hit Charmander and made him freeze in place as it permeated his body.

Charmander hunched over and twitched a little as the shock wore off. While he was stunned, Pikachu sunk low and all but vanished as he charged at Charmander. The tackle was so fast that Pikachu was almost invisible when he charged forward. The yellow blur made contact with Charmander's side and sent him to the ground from the hit.

"Use Scratch!" Colin barked.

Charmander recovered from the hit and rolled towards Pikachu with his claws ready. He got to his feet and used his momentum from the roll to give a quick scratch. His claws raked across Pikachu's side and earned a surprise yelp from the tiny Pokémon. As tempted as Colin was to throw the empty Poké Ball in his hand, he relented. It was still too early and Pikachu still had a lot of fight left in him.

"Follow up with Ember, now!" Colin ordered.

Charmander opened his mouth and a larger ball of fire soared at Pikachu and hit him in the stomach. Pikachu gave a cry and rolled backwards from the force of the blast. It recovered quickly and glared at Charmander as it prepared to make its next move. Colin, for his part, was having a blast and smirked at Pikachu's adamant nature to not give in to pain.

Pikachu lunged at Charmander again with the same attack from before. Charmander, trying to shield himself from the hit, raised his arms to block his face. Pikachu dove headfirst into Charmander's arms and forced them to smack into his head. Charmander stumbled back as he was dazed from the hit and struggled to regain his footing.

"Hang in there, Charmander! He's coming in again!" Colin shouted.

Sure enough, Pikachu shot at Charmander again intent on tackling him into submission. Charmander's eyes got a noticeable gleam in them as Pikachu was just upon him. He sidestepped Pikachu just in time, but he was not finished. Like he did earlier that day, he swung his tail and managed to wrap it around Pikachu's tail. The small mouse was caught by surprise as he was stopped in his tracks.

"Use Scratch!" Colin yelled.

Charmander yanked Pikachu in close and gave two quick swipes with his claws. Both sets of claws slashed into Pikachu and got another cry of pain from the tiny mouse. Pikachu's cheeks crackled again and he released a strong shock, gaining a cry mixed of pain and rage from Charmander.

"Toss him and use Ember!" Colin barked.

Charmander cracked his eyes open and fought through the pain as he gave a mighty heave. His tail released Pikachu who was sent spiraling into the air and was defenseless. He turned and aimed at Pikachu to calculate when to fire his attack. Charmander's mouth opened wide as he began to pour the last of his energy into the attack. He kept his eyes on Pikachu to know where he would have to send the fireball to hit him. Pikachu, however, was not going to give up that easily and managed to regain control. He locked eyes with Charmander and glared at him as he was starting to fall.

Pikachu gave a cry and released a large bolt of electricity at Charmander. Charmander was caught off guard and had to hold off his attack long enough to jump out of the way. He managed to jump to the side just as the lightning bolt hit the ground and gave a loud clap from the hit. He fired his fireball just before he landed on his side in a last second Hail Mary shot. The fireball soared towards Pikachu and crashed into him just in time for a direct hit.

There was a loud bang as the fireball exploded upon hitting Pikachu, creating a thick cloud of black smoke. Pikachu fell from the smoke seconds later and landed on the ground with a hard thud. Charmander stood up and started walking over to Pikachu who was struggling to get up. Pikachu's teeth were bared as he managed to push himself up on all fours.

"Charmander, that's enough. I'll take it from here," Colin said as he walked up holding a Poké Ball.

Charmander backed off but he kept his stare on Pikachu and was ready to chase him down if he attempted to run. Colin wound his arm back and threw the ball at Pikachu. The ball hit Pikachu on the head, popped up and opened. A red glow surrounded Pikachu as he vanished and was sucked into the ball. The ball snapped shut and landed on the ground and started to wobble back and forth as Pikachu struggled to break from it. Colin and Charmander didn't even breathe as they were absorbed with watching the ball. It gave a couple more wiggles before it finally gave a click, signaling the capture.

* * *

Colin stood still for a moment before a grin spread across his face. He successfully caught his first Pokémon and found himself in an elated state. He squatted down by Charmander and held his hand up high for a high-five. Charmander jumped up and slapped his hand with his before hurrying over to the ball. Colin hustled over and picked the ball up.

"We did it, buddy! We got our first teammate!" Colin said as he rubbed Charmander's head.

Charmander jumped up and down excitedly as he celebrated their achievement. Colin looked at the ball again and held it out and opened it, releasing Pikachu. Pikachu looked pretty roughed up but was now able to stand upright. He looked at Colin and Pikachu with a weary look. Colin squatted down and held out his hand towards Pikachu and had a smile on his face to try and lower the tension. Pikachu eyed his hand and looked back up at him with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, Pikachu, I'm Colin and this is Charmander," Colin greeted as he pointed to himself and then to Charmander.

"Pika," Pikachu replied as he sent a cautious glance at Charmander.

Charmander walked up to Pikachu and extended his arm in a friendly gesture. Pikachu stepped back a bit, not trusting Charmander.

"Hey, don't be like that," Colin said as he held his hand out again. "We're not going to hurt you. You're our friend."

Pikachu looked back at Colin and took a step forward before taking another and another until he was able to reach out to him. He raised his small paw and gripped Colin's finger and watched as Colin gently shook his hand. Colin let go of Pikachu's hand and Pikachu moved forward again and sniffed it to which Colin chuckled and scratched his head. Pikachu's demeanor seemed to change the instant he did that as he smiled and nuzzled Colin's hand.

"There, you see?" Colin said as he stopped scratching him. "I'm your friend and so is Charmander."

Pikachu turned back to Charmander who still had a friendly look on his face. Charmander raised his paw for Pikachu to shake and happily did so when Pikachu gripped it. Colin rubbed both Charmander's and Pikachu's heads before standing up.

"I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat and then we'll go to the Pokémon Center to get you both patched up," Colin said.

His two companions gave a happy nod and followed him through the grass and back to his parked motorcycle. He set down his bag and opened it, pulling out a peanut butter sandwich. Colin then divided the sandwich up and gave both Charmander and Pikachu a slice. He never read anything about Pokémon not being able to eat human food, so he thought giving them a tasty treat would make them happier.

"Eat up," Colin said as he took a bite.

Charmander and Pikachu each took a bite of their pieces and their eyes widened at the taste. They quickly devoured the rest of their pieces and were struggling to chew and swallow form the amount of peanut butter that was in their mouths. Colin laughed as he watched the two of them continue chewing the peanut butter.

"I guess you guys liked that, huh?" Colin asked.

Charmander and Pikachu nodded as they finished the rest of the peanut butter. They looked out towards the field where they saw something coming towards them. Charmander nudged Colin's foot to get his attention and pointed to the field. Colin finished the rest of his sandwich and stood up to see what was coming. He felt Pikachu climb up and perch himself on his shoulder as he tried to see what was coming.

Out of the grass came a girl. Colin felt his hair stand on end from Pikachu's electricity. He was unsure as to why Pikachu was on edge, but he decided to wait and see for himself. Shifting his focus back to the girl, Colin was able to get a better look at her.

The girl was about his height and had shoulder length blonde hair with bangs framing her face and curves that complimented her form. She had a pair of sunglasses resting on the front of her shirt collar and a lot of jewelry. The amount of jewelry caught Colin's attention as he found it silly to wear so many expensive things that can easily be lost.

_"Damn girl, you think you got enough rings on you?"_ Colin thought.

The girl stopped in front of him and crossed her arms. She looked back at the area where Colin was earlier when he and Charmander battled Pikachu and then back at him. Colin, who usually did well with talking to girls, decided to break the ice.

"Hey," Colin greeted.

"Hello," the girl replied.

"What's your name?"

"Molly. Not to be rude, but I don't suppose you can answer a question?"

"Hit me."

"Have you seen a Pikachu around here?"

Pikachu inched his way up Colin's back and poked his head out over his shoulder. Molly's eyes connected with his and lit up a bit but she quickly frowned.

"Oh, I see," Molly said.

"What's wrong?" Colin asked.

"That Pikachu on your shoulder is yours, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I just caught him a few minutes ago. Why?"

Molly sighed and cursed under her breath. Someone had beaten her to her target.

"I've been trying to catch that Pikachu for the past three hours. You stole it!" Molly said as she crossed her arms.

"Well, I'm sorry I caught Pikachu but I didn't steal it from you. It was wild and I managed to get to him first, so that's fair game," Colin said.

"I know, but still."

"Sorry."

"Whatever, it's fine. No point in crying over spilled milk."

Colin shrugged and looked at his watch. It had been half an hour since he stopped and that was more than enough time for the rush hour to die down. He could still get back to Madison and crash at the Pokémon Center for the night before making his way up to Minnesota tomorrow. He held up Charmander's and Pikachu's Poké Balls and recalled them and clipped them to his belt.

"Wait a second, do I know you?" Molly asked as she looked him up and down.

"No, we've never met before," Colin replied as he watched Molly circle him.

"No, I know you. You're Colin Campo. You played football for the Wisconsin Badgers, right?"

"Yeah, I used to play. I guess that means you watch college football then, right?"

"Duh! What girl doesn't watch football?"

"Good point. Which university are you from?"

"Northwestern."

"Nice."

Molly nodded and smiled as she crossed her arms. Colin turned around and started walking to his motorcycle. He pulled out his key and was about to start it up when Molly hurried over to him.

"Wait, I don't suppose you can tell me where I am now, can you?" Molly asked.

"Yeah, if you go a mile up the road here and turn right onto I-94 and stay on, you'll eventually hit Madison," Colin replied.

"Ah, I see."

"What are you using for travel?"

"I used a bus and I have to wait for my next one because I missed the last one. I got sidetracked when I tried to catch that Pikachu."

"Your priorities weren't in order, were they?"

"I know they weren't, shut-up."

Colin rolled his eyes at Molly's retort and tried not to smirk. While he did find it funny that she got flustered over a small matter, he did feel bad that she had to wait to get to Madison. He rubbed his chin but stopped when an idea popped in his head.

"Well, I have a suggestion if you want to hear it," Colin said.

"I'm listening," Molly replied.

"I'd be willing to give you a ride to Madison if you want one."

"Uh huh, and what's in it for you?"

"Nothing."

"Are you sure about that?"

"I don't want anything. I'm just trying to help you, but if you don't want one…"

Colin started his motorcycle and turned around in the road. As he started to go down the road, he heard Molly call out to him and he pulled over. Molly sprinted over to him and panted as she tried to catch her breath.

"Alright, I'll get on!" Molly said as she climbed on the back.

"That wasn't so hard was it?"

"Shut up, Campo."

"I don't want to eat any bugs so you'll get your wish in a second. I just have one question though."

"Yeah, what's that?"

"You don't mind if I go fast, do you?"

"Go crazy."

"Awesome. Then you will want to hang on."

Molly crossed her arms and raised a brow at Colin's statement. He turned around and looked serious about his statement.

"Why do I have to hold on to you?" Molly asked.

"There's no seat to lean back in and there are no sides to grip. If that doesn't work for you, then I can take you to the bus station," Colin replied.

"Fine, but don't get any ideas. This is strictly platonic."

Colin waved her words off and waited for her to do as he asked. Molly leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his midsection and held tightly as she pressed into his back.

"You set?" Colin asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Molly replied.

Colin revved the bike and it roared as he soared down the road and back to I-94. Molly found that Colin wasn't kidding when he told her to hold on tight as his driving was quick and his maneuvers to pass vehicles were swift. She tightened her grip in fear of losing it, but that seemed to make Colin speed up.

"How long will it take to get to Madison?" Molly yelled.

"At the rate I'm going, we can get there in half an hour!" Colin replied.

"Maybe I should have taken the bus."

* * *

True to his word, Colin and Molly arrived in Madison just under half an hour and were heading westbound on the beltline. He slowed down now that he was back in city limits much to Molly's relief and she relaxed her grip a little. The sun set and the night sky started to cover the city. Colin got off the beltline and turned on to Park Street to head downtown where the Pokémon Center was.

"The bus that you will want to take will be at the Memorial Union just down the street from the Pokémon Center," Colin said as they came to a red light.

"Ok, that sounds good," Molly replied.

Colin pulled into the parking lot of the Pokémon Center. The signature red roof was illuminated by lights that ran across the base of the roof's structure. He killed the engine and waited for Molly to let go of him before getting off the bike.

"Well, Molly, it was nice meeting you," Colin said as he held out his hand.

"Likewise," Molly replied with a smile. "I'd like to have a battle with you sometime. I want to see how strong that Pikachu of yours can be."

"Deal."

Molly took Colin's phone after he pulled it out and spent a couple of seconds typing in her phone number into the contacts. When she was done, she handed him back his phone and gave another smile.

"Can you put your number in my phone? I would ask you to tell me but I will not remember it. I have a terrible short-term memory," Molly said.

"Yeah, sure, give me your phone for a sec," Colin replied.

Molly handed him his phone and he went to the contacts and placed his information into it. He handed it back over to Molly who took it and smiled again. She looked down the road as she had a couple of blocks to go before reaching Memorial Union for her bus.

"Thanks for the ride, Campo. I hope to see you again later," Molly said.

"Don't worry, you will," Colin replied.

"Good."

With that, Molly turned on her heel and vanished into the crowds. Colin entered the Pokémon Center and continued up to the counter where he handed the nurse his Pokémon to allow them to recover. The nurse took his Pokémon and transferred them to the machine. While he waited for his team to recover, Colin pulled out his phone to check his messages. The only message in his inbox was from Brianna and she sent it to him as a confirmation to be sure it was his number. Colin typed back that she did have the right number and sent it. The nurse came back to the counter holding the two Poké Balls he handed over.

Thanking the nurse, Colin took the balls and walked back outside to his bike. He would start traveling up I-90 and then take I-94 to La Crosse. He climbed on his bike, started it, and took one last look around Park Street. It would be a while before he made a return back to Madison so he decided to take in the surroundings one last time. He revved his bike and started his drive back to the beltline. His first day as a trainer started out slow with his loss against Scott, but it picked up after catching his first Pokémon and meeting Brianna and Molly. As he turned onto the beltline, he turned on the radio and heard Johnny Cash's "God's Gonna Cut You Down" come on. He started to sing along as he continued driving into the night.

* * *

**There's the chapter! Remember, I'm still taking OCs but I am lacking on males. There is still room for three females, but that's it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and Colin's first capture as well as being introduced to the OC Molly. I'll try updating again later, but we'll see where it goes. I also found it funny that people have been spelling Colin's name with two Ls instead of one. It's possible for Colin to be "Kah-lin" rather than "Koh-lin" like so many think, but his name only has one L and is pronounced as the first one I put there. See you next time!**

**OCs Introduced: Molly Taylor (Female Rival)(An Anon Fellow)**

**Colin's Party:**

**Charmander: Male: Moves: Ember, Scratch, Leer **

**Pikachu: Male: Moves: Thundershock, Quick Attack, Growl**


	5. Breakfast Tussle

**Hey everybody, I'm here with another update. Now, I'm still in the process of choosing the OCs, but I still need those gym leaders, go to my profile page to see what is needed. I hope you enjoy the chapter here, so let's get to it. **

**Last time on The Big Ten League: Colin started to contemplate what Pokémon he would want on his team on his journey to eventually become his team of champions to take on The Big Ten League. He came across a Pikachu and successfully caught it with Charmander's help. Colin is now preparing to head to La Crosse to run an errand but it seems the new trainer has found himself in another predicament.**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions/Phone responses**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

The early morning sun was just starting to rise and all was quiet around the woods near the camp ground. The silence was broken by the sound of a tree snapping and then falling to the ground with a loud crash. The source of the ruckus was from a trainer and his Pokémon as they continued their intense training session. Scott Fowler was standing in the center of a clearing with his arms crossed as his eyes stayed fixed on Totodile who was exhausted from being worked to the bone. The area they had used for training was clear when they found it, but now it was a mess. The ground was soggy from all the water attacks. Branches littered the ground with an occasional tree as well.

Totodile had collapsed to the ground in exhaustion and was struggling not to faint. He had followed Scott's strict training regimen for the past three hours and was on his last legs. As he lay on the ground, he heard Scott's commanding tone again.

"Get up, we're not done yet! We've still got one more hour before the break!" Scott hollered.

Totodile's eyes cracked open and he glanced at Scott. Scott's arms were crossed and his face was stern as he looked at him. Afraid of not living up to Scott's standard, Totodile used whatever willpower he could gather and pushed himself to his feet. He swayed a little as he felt lightheaded from exerting a lot of energy. He was about to fall over but Scott's words made him think otherwise.

"Don't even think about it! Stay tough and keep pushing!" Scott shouted.

"Dile," Totodile uttered, clearly fatigued.

"This is the way it will be from here on out if we want to be the best, so suck it up! We need to keep you up to speed to face off against anybody!"

Totodile flinched at Scott's tone and got ready for his next command.

"Once more! Use Water Gun on that tree!" Scott barked.

Totodile took a deep breath and looked at the tree Scott pointed at. It was tall, just like the other ones they attacked for the past couple of hours. The method of knocking the trees down was using physical attacks to hack at the trunk of it and weaken it to the point where it could be snapped in half with a special attack. The tree that they had been working on for the past twenty minutes had been cut into a little from all of the slashes, tackles and bites Totodile could dish out and it showed no signs of falling. Totodile released his breath and let out another strong jet of water. The water smashed into the tree trunk where it had been cut.

The attack finally ended and Totodile fell to a knee and looked up at the tree, hoping it would fall. The tree still stood tall and Totodile felt humiliated at failing Scott's order. He stood up again to try once more, but his body would not allow him to do it. He fell to the ground and no matter how hard he tried he could not push himself up. He heard a sigh come from Scott and knew he was disappointed that his stamina could not hold out.

"Guess that's it then" Scott said as he pulled out the Poké Ball.

Totodile said nothing as the humiliation filled his being. He failed his master and knew that he was very disappointed in him.

"If that's the best you can do, that's pathetic," Scott said. "You need to get stronger. It's humiliating to think that even though we had a type advantage over Campo and his Charmander that he pushed us that far and almost beat us!"

Totodile kept taking the verbal lashing and tried to stand up, but to no avail. He managed to roll over and look at Scott. He waited for Scott to recall him back to the ball, but he was not doing it. Scott saw his gaze and looked at the ball and shook his head as he leveled Totodile with a stare.

"I'm not returning you to your ball. If you want to go back in, crawl over here by using the rest of your strength and then I'll put you back inside," Scott said.

Totodile's face fell even further as he started to inch his way back to Scott. One pull at a time, Totodile got closer and closer to Scott. After a good two minutes of endless struggling, Totodile managed to get to Scott's feet and fell into blissful unconsciousness. Scott held up the ball and returned Totodile to it. He stared down at the ball and nodded before tucking it away and departing from the clearing.

* * *

Colin left from the Super 8 he spent the night in and made his way to the diner across the highway. He decided to crash in Tomah for the night and was going to get some breakfast before heading to La Crosse to drop off a letter for his friend Cody. Colin brought his motorcycle to a stop beside a couple of others that were parked in front of the diner. He walked into the diner and walked over to the counter and sat down.

Colin took a quick look around the diner to find that it was relatively empty due to the early hours, but there was a good chance that most of the truckers that were there the night before had been there earlier. Aside from himself, he was sitting in the diner with a couple of bikers and a few truckers. The waitress came up and took his order and went to get his food ready.

While he was waiting for his food, Colin pulled out his map and a pencil and started circling the cities in the states for the Big Ten Conference that had the gyms he needed to challenge. His first challenge would be in Minneapolis, Minnesota and then he would head off to Iowa. He was not sure what to expect from the first gym leader type wise, but he did know that they would be no pushover. He was broken from his thoughts when the waitress came back and set down his breakfast consisting of bacon, eggs, toast and milk. Colin thanked her and immediately began to chow down on the delicious meal.

Colin continued chowing down on his breakfast as he turned his attention to the TV that had SportsCenter on. Not wanting his Pokémon to miss breakfast, Colin released them from their balls and ordered a dish for each of them. Pikachu and Charmander hopped on top of the counter just as their food came and started to dig in. While they were eating, Colin returned his attention to SportsCenter after he heard his name mentioned.

_**"So, Colin Campo has left the Wisconsin Badgers football team due to an injury and is now representing his alma mater as a Pokémon trainer,"**_ Mike Carlson said as the camera panned to him.

_**"That's right, Mike. However, I'm starting to wonder if he made the right call,"**_ said Sean Smith.

_**"I will respect his call no matter what. It takes guts for a player to call it quits."**_

_**"Yes, but did you see that amateur video we got of his first Pokémon battle?"**_

_**"I did, but I honestly don't think he did badly for his first attempt."**_

_**"Well, he has a lot to learn yet, but let's go to the tape."**_

The camera then cut to a video that recorded Colin's fight against Scott. The quality was not the best, but it was still able to catch the fight. As the fight was shown on the television, Sean and Mike would give comments here and there to which Colin shook his head as he picked up his glass of milk.

"Spare me," Colin muttered as he gulped down the rest of the contents.

Pikachu and Charmander had looked at the TV and then frowned when Colin made that side comment after watching it. He obviously was still sore about losing to Scott and the fact that he was getting critiqued pretty hard was not helping too much. Colin set down his fork and looked at Charmander and Pikachu with a smile.

"Finish up. We're going to La Crosse and then to Minneapolis, so we've got some ground to cover," Colin said.

Charmander and Pikachu quickly shoved the remnants of their meal in their mouths and hopped off the counter. Colin set down the cash to pay for his meal and some extra bills as a tip. The waitress took the money and noticed the tip that Colin left and looked surprised at the amount. She looked up for clarification as he was about to exit the door. Colin put his hat on and gave her a smile and a wink.

"That's yours. I've worked in the food business for a bit, so I know how the tip payments work," Colin said.

"Thank you," the waitress replied with a light blush.

* * *

Colin, Charmander and Pikachu exited the restaurant and walked over to his bike. He climbed on and Pikachu climbed up to his shoulder. Charmander walked around the side and jumped up to try and get on but he lost his grip and fell off. As he hit the ground, Charmander lost his foot and fell into the neighboring motorcycle. Time seemed to slow down as the cycle tipped over and knocked over the other three beside it like a bunch of dominos.

"Oh crap," Colin muttered as he glanced back inside.

Just like the movies, the bikers saw the whole thing happen and were on their feet and hurrying outside. Colin scooped Charmander up and placed him on the seat of his bike. The bikers ran to their bikes and did a quick inspection to see what the damage was. The bikers pushed their bikes up and let out various groans or curses under their breath. Colin could see some shattered glass on the ground, a few scratches and bent mirrors.

"What the hell, kid?" The head biker asked as he strode over to him.

"Hey, calm down buddy. It was an accident," Colin said as he held up a hand. "Do you have insurance?"

"An accident? Do you know how much this bike cost me?"

"An arm and a leg?"

"You think this is funny, smartass?"

Colin sighed and shook his head.

"No, I don't think it is and I can relate. I had a guy do something similar to my bike last year," Colin said.

"I bet you can," the biker sneered. "Now which of you knocked over my bike?"

Charmander flinched at the biker's question and tried to hide behind Colin, garnering the attention of the biker. The biker took a step forward and pointed at Charmander with a furious look on his face.

"It was you, wasn't it?" The biker demanded.

Charmander held on tightly to Colin and tried to hide even more.

"Hey, back off!" Colin said as he grabbed the biker's wrist and gave a hard shove, forcing him back.

"I'm not leaving until you fix my bike!" The biker retorted as he towered over Colin and shoved his shoulder.

"I'm sure your insurance will cover it. I'll give you my card and we can…"

The biker grabbed Colin by the front of his shirt and pulled him up until he was face to face with him. Colin knew that this situation was becoming nonnegotiable and would end badly if he did not do something. The biker's fist clenched and was getting ready to bury itself into Colin if he did not cooperate.

"I'm not waiting for that, kid. You're giving me money to fix it now or I will knock you out and take the money myself," the biker sneered.

"What's your name?" Colin asked.

"Craig."

"Well, Craig, can I suggest something?"

Craig nodded and ended up clutching his head a second later after Colin brought his head back and smashed it against him. Colin shook his head to shake off the pain and jumped away to put some space between himself and Craig. Charmander and Pikachu stood by Colin and were ready to fight. Craig let go of his head and looked at his gang members for support. The two bikers that accompanied Craig stepped up and pulled out their own Poké Balls to battle.

"Alright kid, if that's the way you want to play, fine. If we win, you pay us the money to fix our bikes," Craig sneered as he pulled out his own Poké Ball.

"Uh huh, yeah, and what happens when I win?" Colin retorted.

"Then we'll back off like you told us."

"I don't think so. You need to sweeten the deal there, Cue Ball."

"What else could you possibly want?"

"I want you to apologize for being a dick to my Charmander."

Craig and his friends laughed as they looked at Colin who just leveled them with a stare. When they stopped laughing, they all threw their balls into the space that they had and released their Pokémon. From left to right, Colin saw three Pokémon that he recognized from all the readings he did being Koffing, Geodude and Zubat. Now Colin had a problem. He had only two Pokémon and they would quickly get tired trying to fight all three of them, even if he switched them out.

"Three on one? Way to be a man, Craig," Colin said.

"We never specified rules, kid. I hope you're ready to pay up." Craig smirked.

Pikachu growled and hopped off Colin's shoulder and landed in front of him, his cheeks releasing sparks of electricity as he glared at Craig and his friends. Colin was surprised by Pikachu's quick jump into the field. He was eager to battle and prove himself and Colin was not going to deny his wish. Looking at the situation before him, Colin would first take out Zubat, and then Koffing and Geodude last because of the advantages and threat level he saw.

"Alright, Pikachu, let's show these jerks what we can do!" Colin said.

"Hold on a second!" A girl's voice rang out.

Colin, Charmander, Pikachu, Craig and the other two bikers turned around to the source of the voice. It was Brianna. She was wearing her blue short shorts, a red Wisconsin Badgers shirt and a grey hat with the signature Wisconsin W on the front. Her piercing blue eyes bore into the bikers and seemed to keep them in place.

"What kind of cowards are you to fight three on one?" Brianna asked as she ran over to stand beside Colin.

"That's not cowardly! It's playing smart!" Retorted one of the bikers.

Brianna rolled her eyes and fished out her Poké Ball and stood beside Colin. Colin, for his part, was a little surprised with Brianna's sudden arrival and aide. He looked at her for a minute and she looked back at him. She gave him a smirk that promised some teasing down the road.

"So, Campo, how is this going to look with a girl coming in to save you?" Brianna asked.

"I'll live. It's not every day you get to battle with a cute girl," Colin replied.

"Anyway, what's your plan?"

"Me and Pikachu will take Zubat down. Maybe you and Chespin can take out Geodude and then we can double team Koffing?"

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

Colin and Pikachu shifted their focus to Zubat as it flapped its wings to hover high in the air. Before he would start his attack, Colin needed to get a feel for his opponent's battling style first.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Colin ordered.

Pikachu crouched down and dashed at Zubat with incredible speed that made him appear as a blur. He was instantly below Zubat before he sprung high into the air headfirst. Zubat quickly dodged the fast attack which gave Colin and Pikachu a feel for his speed.

_"Okay, that attack will not work unless I weaken it first. The only way I can land a hit is if I do a surprise attack,"_ Colin thought.

"Zubat, use Supersonic!" The biker yelled.

Zubat turned to face Pikachu and let out a shrill cry. Pikachu tensed up and clutched his head as the piercing screech met his ears. He swayed and stumbled as he tried to keep his footing. As Pikachu tried to break free from his disoriented state, Zubat got ready to attack again.

"Now use Bite!"

Zubat dove at Pikachu and had its fangs ready to clamp down. Pikachu was still trying to come to his senses, but managed to turn around and get eyes on Zubat. He gave a growl as he crouched low again.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Colin yelled.

Pikachu was still confused from Zubat's previous attack and was having trouble trying to read Zubat's movements. Taking the chance, Pikachu shot forward and jumped into the air again. There was a loud thump and Pikachu's tackle hit Zubat dead-on and sent him spiraling to the ground. Zubat hit the ground with a dull thump and struggled to get airborne once again.

"Alright, nice job!" Colin praised. "Now let's hit this clown with Thundershock!"

Pikachu smirked as his cheeks began to crackle with electricity. Zubat just managed to get off the ground and was taking to the air again, but was not able to reach the desired altitude. Pikachu jumped after Zubat again and started to glow a bright yellow before releasing a decent sized bolt of lightning. The bolt struck Zubat in the back and earned a loud cry of pain from him. Pikachu landed on the ground and looked to the sky to see Zubat falling back to earth. Within seconds, Zubat landed with a crash at Pikachu's feet, defeated. Pikachu, excited with his first victory, smirked and flexed his tiny arms.

"Way to go, Pikachu!" Colin cheered.

"Pika!" Pikachu replied as he gave a thumbs up.

* * *

Brianna and Chespin were making quick work of Geodude. She saw that Colin had things taken care of on his end and it was time she finished up her battle. Once she was done, they could take Craig out together and end this sticky situation.

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" The biker yelled.

"Chespin, use Vine Whip to get rid of those rocks!" Brianna countered.

Geodude had his arms outstretched as rocks materialized into the air around him. He looked at Chespin to be met with a focused stare as he got ready to intercept the attack. He then brought his hands together with a hard clap and the rocks shot at Chespin like bullets. Chespin was more than ready to counter the attack as his hands reached for his back and gave a tug. He pulled out two long, thick vines and let them dangle as he prepared to swing away.

The rocks were upon Chespin and he began to swing his arms as fast as he could. Each swing he dealt would shatter a rock to pebbles. He jumped high into the air and began to spin like a vortex, extending the vines and creating a small shield. The last rocks were reduced to nothing and Chespin landed on the ground and was a little dizzy from all the spinning.

"Now use Rollout!" Brianna barked.

Chespin dropped the vines and managed to regain his balance as he curled up into a tight ball and began to roll in place. Once he gathered enough momentum, he shot at Geodude and smashed into him with tremendous force. Geodude was forced back from the hard hit and landed on the ground. He tried to push himself up, but fell back. Chespin got out of his curled state and crossed his arms as he glared at his knocked out opponent.

"Nice job, Chespin!" Brianna cheered.

* * *

With Brianna and Colin having dealt with Craig's friends, it was now time to face him. Craig looked surprised at the turn of events as he had not expected them to be that strong. He seriously underestimated them and would have to be cautious in his fight, especially since he would be fighting them both at once. His Koffing was in front of him and ready to battle as Brianna had Chespin ready to engage and Colin had sent in Charmander to give Pikachu a rest.

"Alright, tough guy," Brianna said as she glared at Craig. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Don't take me lightly, girl. There's a reason I'm the boss of our group here," Craig replied.

Charmander and Chespin stepped forward and glared at Koffing who had a cocky look on his face. They turned to look at each other and nodded as they got ready to double team the enemy before them.

"Brianna, let's try attacking him together. There's no way he can maintain focus on both of us if we put pressure on him," Colin said.

"Okay, let's do it," Brianna replied.

"Charmander, use Scratch!" Colin yelled.

"Chespin, use Tackle!" Brianna ordered.

Charmander and Chespin both ran at Koffing who continued to hover in his spot. Charmander got to Koffing first and jumped up giving a swipe with his claws. Koffing suddenly shot to the left with impressive speed and dodged Charmander's attack. He dodged again to avoid Chespin's diving tackle. Koffing cackled as he looked between his two opponents.

"Koffing, use Smokescreen!" Craig hollered.

Koffing seemed to inflate after being issued the command before shrinking and releasing the black smoke from his pores. The thick smoke covered the arena and surrounded Charmander, Chespin and Koffing. This created a few problems for Colin and Brianna, the biggest one being that they could not see what was happening.

"Koffing, use Gyro Ball!" Craig barked.

Inside the smoke, Charmander and Chespin were trying to find each other but at the same time keeping an eye out for Koffing after hearing the command. Charmander's eyes were leaking tears from the stinging smoke and he stopped for a second to try and wipe them clean. That's when he was jumped. Koffing was spinning rapidly and managed to find him in the thick cloud of smoke and smashed into Charmander, sending him to the ground dazed. The second Koffing made the hit he bounced off and vanished into the smoke again. It did not take long for Koffing to find Chespin either. His rotating body slammed into Chespin so hard that he was launched into the air. Chespin gave a surprised cry as he felt the air leave his body.

Charmander heard Chespin's voice and pushed himself up and hurried through the smoke. He stumbled upon Chespin moments later and helped him sit up. Chespin's eyes widened and he tackled Charmander to the ground just in time as Koffing shot over them again.

"Charmander, use Ember!" Colin yelled.

"Campo, no!" Brianna yelled.

Brianna was surprised when she saw his face when he looked back at her. She was not sure how much Colin knew about Koffing and his gas, but what he was about to do would end badly. Yet he was still calm and had a smirk on his face. Is it possible he knew already?

_"What are you planning?"_ Brianna wondered.

Charmander got out of Chespin's grasp and opened his mouth to release a ball of fire into the air. The moment the ball of fire was out of Charmander's mouth, the air became very hot before it ignited into a fiery inferno. Charmander dove to the ground and shielded Chespin from the blaze as best he could. The cloud of smoke became a dome of flame and then a loud bang filled the area as it exploded outward. After the blast finished, the ground was covered with soot.

Koffing was hovering in the air looking stunned after the backfire from the attack. There were visible burns covering his round body from the explosion. Charmander and Chespin stood up, both looking fine but covered in soot. They smirked at Koffing who was still stunned and were getting ready to finish the battle.

"What the heck did you just do?" Craig demanded as he glared at Colin.

Colin smirked and was grateful he remembered basic science and did his reading on a lot of Pokémon otherwise the battle would not be going well for them.

"I turned your element against you," Colin replied.

"How did you do it?"

"If my memory of science and Pokémon knowledge is still accurate, then let me explain. Koffing is called the Poison Gas Pokémon because of all the gasses it emits along with the toxins inside it. Koffing also produces more gas in higher temperatures. Now that it is fairly warm outside and Charmander's fire is heating the air up, Koffing naturally produced more. His gases are flammable and all it takes is for an exposed flame or a spark of electricity to ignite it."

With each passing word, Craig's eyes widened in realization. He inadvertently set himself up for failure by giving Charmander the energy he needed.

"Now the normal gas that Koffing releases is methane, and even though it has a low flammability, it just needs the energy to explode. With oxygen in the air around us as well, that was another key factor to get the flame aside from the constant supply of gas and heat. Once Charmander released his flame in that unstable air, it created the explosion which resulted in Koffing being stunned," Colin finished.

The explanation left Craig speechless, allowing Colin and Brianna the window they needed to finish the battle. Colin and Brianna looked at each other and nodded.

"Charmander, toss Chespin with your tail!" Colin ordered.

"Chespin, finish it with Tackle!" Brianna yelled.

Charmander's tail wrapped around Chespin's midsection and lifted him up. Chespin looked a little surprised at first but went with the call. He kept his eyes locked on Koffing who was starting to break free from his stunned state. Charmander spun around and around as fast as he could and finally released his grip on Chespin. Chespin flew at Koffing like a bullet headfirst with the spikes on top of his head aiming right for Koffing.

There was a loud thump as Chespin's head collided with Koffing and sent him soaring back. Koffing hit the ground hard and rolled until he was resting against Craig's bike, knocked out. Chespin and Charmander high-fived each other and looked back at Koffing as they relished in their victory over the poisonous Pokémon.

* * *

Craig and his friends looked back at Colin and Brianna with embarrassment. They had been beaten badly and were now feeling humiliated. Craig recalled Koffing to his ball and glared back at Colin and Charmander. He pointed at him and Colin could tell that he was struggling to form his words with his anger.

"You may have won this round, kid, but you haven't seen the last of us." Craig sneered.

"I'm sure I haven't. Now, since you lost, you need to follow your end of the deal," Colin replied.

Craig scowled before looking down at Charmander and sighed as he crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry, Charmander," Craig said through clenched teeth.

"Thank you," Colin replied, "now back off!"

Craig sent one last glare at Colin before motioning for his gang to follow him. They got on their bikes and sent one last dirty look at him before taking off down the road. Colin sighed and smiled down at Charmander and Pikachu before scratching their heads for a job well done in their battles. He pulled out their Poké Balls and returned them before attaching them to his belt. Brianna had done the same with Chespin and turned to face him.

"Boy, you sure know how to make some friends." Brianna smirked.

"Real cute," Colin replied with an eye roll.

"Hey, back there when we battled Craig. Did you know what would happen with Koffing and the gas?"

"Yeah, I did. To be honest, I'm surprised it worked as well as it did."

"Likewise, but I have to say you really are an idiot for even doing what you did with that."

"I knew it was a risky move, but sometimes you have to take risks in battles and that's what I did."

Brianna shook her head. She did agree with Colin and his belief with risks, but what he did was very foolish because there was a lot of room for error. Brianna shrugged it off and started to walk to the diner for breakfast. She stopped and turned around and Colin was wondering what else she was going to ask.

"Do you want to get some breakfast?" Brianna asked.

"I would, but I ate before you came," Colin said with an apologetic smile.

Brianna laughed and opened the door before giving a wave.

"Ah, it's okay. See you later, Campo," Brianna said as she entered the diner.

Colin walked back over to his bike and hopped on. He fired up his engine and sped out of the parking lot and back on the highway, heading for La Crosse.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter. We see what's going on with Scott and we get some action with Colin and Brianna teaming up to defeat the biker group. Now, like I said, I'm still looking for gym leader OCs, so check out my profile for information on which ones are needed. Until next time, I'll see you later. -CaptainPrice**

**Colin's Party:**

**Charmander: Male: Moves: Ember, Scratch, Leer **

**Pikachu: Male: Moves: Thundershock, Quick Attack, Growl**


	6. One Small Favor

**Hey everybody, I'm here with another update for The Big Ten League. In this chapter I introduce another submitted OC who happens to be the first companion to Colin. I still need gym leaders, so take a look at my profile for which ones are needed and send them in. Now without further delay, let's get to the chapter.**

**Chapter Summary: Colin arrives in La Crosse to deliver a parcel to his childhood friend Cody. While he's there, Colin is given a task by Cody to deliver a package to a certain individual that will come into play down the road and he meets someone that will accompany him to Minneapolis. Meanwhile, Scott has a confrontation with Brianna.**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions/Phone responses**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

Colin was feeling better after successfully defeating the biker gang that he inadvertently angered when Charmander accidentally knocked over their bikes. He and Brianna teamed up and worked well together and he was glad that she went out of her way to help him battle otherwise he was sure there was no way he would have won the fight. He made a mental note to send her a text after reaching his destination as a sign of thanks. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that he made excellent time and would be able to reach Minneapolis by late afternoon.

He had just entered La Crosse and Cody's shop was downtown. Cody Borland was one of his oldest friends and had his back since kindergarten. He joined the United States Army and was in the reserves so he could attend school and work at his family's repair shop. It was because of Cody that he developed a knack for repairing cars and motorcycles having worked in the shop during summer breaks. A small smile spread across Colin's face as he saw the shop come into view and he turned into the parking lot and stopped outside of the garage.

Colin killed the engine and slung his bag over his shoulder as he walked into the garage that had three cars being worked on. A wave of nostalgia hit him with full force as he took a look around the shop and was instantly filled with memories.

"Colin! How's it going, kid?" Doug Borland's voice boomed.

"Hey, Doug! Things are going pretty well," Colin replied as he shook Doug's hand.

Doug Borland was a big man and looked like a grizzly bear. His massive hand gripped Colin's for the handshake and he could almost feel it being crushed. Doug let go of his hand and wiped the gunk off of them as he walked to the side door.

"You here to see Cody?" Doug asked.

"Yeah, he texted me and asked if I could pick up a cash payment for him," Colin replied.

"Hah, still working for us when you're not on the clock, huh?"

"Yeah."

Doug opened the door and called out for Cody to come into the garage. The door opened again moments later and Cody entered the shop. Cody was a splitting image of Doug, just younger. He was just a couple of inches taller than Colin, but he was packed with muscle. His short black hair and sharp blue eyes was enough to give an intimidating appearance to those that got on his bad side. Cody's eyes met Colin's and a sly grin came across his face.

"There's my brother from another mother!" Cody laughed as he walked over to him.

"How's it going, bro?" Colin grinned back as he fist bumped Cody.

"Good, man. Things are going good. I got promoted to sergeant last month."

"Yeah, I saw the Facebook status. Congrats, dude."

"Aw, thanks buddy."

Colin unslung his bag and pulled out the paper envelope that contained the payment money. Cody took the envelope and motioned for him to follow him inside the shop. The two entered the shop and walked over to Cody's desk and he sat down to count the money. Colin sat down in the chair across from him and kicked his feet up on the desk. Cody pulled the money out from the envelope and started counting it.

"So how's your knee doing?" Cody asked.

"Better," Colin replied. "I can do some running on it, but nowhere near the amount have I wanted to."

"How many months of rehab have you got left?"

"Technically two, but you know me, I heal fast."

"Hah, yeah, that's true. I remember the time you dislocated your shoulder back in high school during football and still played after we popped it back in."

The two of them shared a laugh at that. That was one thing Colin and Cody loved to talk about every time they hung out. Both of them had been notorious for getting injured since they were kids and still continued with what they were doing after getting the required treatment. The main reason was because both of their fathers grew up with the tough love attitude towards them. Colin could still remember his father's words every time he maimed himself, namely one incident when he fell out of a tree and landed on a stick which pierced his arm.

_"Quit being a wussy and hold still so I can pull it out!"_ Gary's voice echoed through his head.

Cody finished counting the money and walked over to the safe to place it inside.

"So how is it being a Pokémon trainer now?" Cody asked.

"Good so far," Colin replied. "I have two Pokémon now and I have an even battle record at the moment."

"Yeah, I saw that bit on ESPN this morning with your first battle. Sucks that you lost."

"It happens. I tied it up this morning after accidentally pissing off a couple of bikers. I ended up teaming up with a friend of mine and we beat them."

"Nice. Who was the friend?"

Colin pulled out his phone and scrolled to Brianna's contact information. He pressed down and brought the data up with her profile picture before handing it to Cody. Cody took the phone and rubbed his eyes before looking at it closer. He gave a sharp whistle and looked back at Colin with a teasing smirk.

"She's cute, dude. You should ask her out," Cody replied as he tossed him the phone.

"Funny thing is she asked if I wanted to get breakfast with her this morning after we battled those clowns," Colin answered.

"Did you take up the offer?"

"No, I already ate and I wanted to get the money to you."

"You must be gay. If you told me you were getting breakfast with a hot chick I would have let it slide."

Colin rolled his eyes and smirked at Cody's retort and then adapted a softer voice and acquired a lisp before he spoke again.

"Oh, yes I am. I just can't take my eyes off you," Colin said as he tilted his head and smiled at Cody.

"You do that way too well," Cody said with a shake of his head.

He walked back to the desk and sat down before dropping a large wad of cash wrapped in a rubber band in front of Colin.

"That's your cut for doing that errand for me," Cody replied.

"Wow, thanks man," Colin said as he took the money and placed it in his bag.

The two of them stood out and walked back into the garage to see Doug putting air inside a new tire of a motorcycle. Cody tapped Colin on the shoulder and beckoned him over to the garage door that had packages stacked beside it. He began sifting through the boxes and finally pulled out a small box that could easily fit inside Colin's bag.

"Another job?" Colin asked.

"Yeah, you said you were heading to Minneapolis for your first gym badge, right?" Cody replied.

"Yeah, what do you need me to do?"

"I want you to deliver this to Jason Butler. His address is on the package and the money that he owes for the delivery you get to keep."

"Sweet, I'll do it. When does he need it by?"

"No later than noon tomorrow."

"Sounds easy enough."

Cody smirked and handed Colin the package and he put it in his bag. There was a loud curse from Doug and the two turned to see him shaking his hand. Apparently the veteran mechanic somehow burned his hand with the welder. Cody was trying not to laugh as he watched his dad saying every curse word known to man as he dealt with the pain.

"Alright, I'll get the medical kit." Cody laughed.

Doug went to go and sit by the bench and cradled his hand as Cody pulled the medical kit off the wall. While Cody was tending to his father, the bell rang as a customer stepped inside the garage. Colin, having worked for the Borland family before, set his bag down and walked over to the entrance to help out the customer. As he got to the front, he saw the customer and was a little surprised to find it was a girl. Normally the customers that came through were middle-aged men in biker gangs going through their midlife crisis.

The girl was a couple inches shorter than him. She had blue eyes and curly, cocoa brown hair that was tied into a pony tail. She was wearing a t-shirt with yellow streaks, faded blue jeans, sneakers and had a Wisconsin Badgers hat on her head. Colin stopped observing the fairly attractive girl that entered the shop and walked up to greet her.

"Hey. Welcome to Borland's Auto and Repair, how can I help you?" Colin greeted as he held out his hand.

"Hi, I came to…" the girl replied but stopped when she shook his hand and got a good look at his face.

The girl had stopped talking and her eyes widened in surprise. The sudden silence started to make Colin feel a little awkward as the girl continued to stare at him. He let go of her hand and cleared his throat to try and break her free from her trance.

"Sorry? What did you need?" Colin asked.

"I know you! You're Colin Campo!" The girl finally spoke as her face lit up.

"Yeah, I am. How did you know that?"

"Everyone in the Big Ten Conference knows who you are!"

Colin's inner voice was reprimanding him for asking a rhetorical question. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and realized that he tuned the girl out as she continued talking to him.

"So what are you doing all the way up here?" The girl asked.

"I was running an errand for my buddy over there and I was just getting ready to go do another one," Colin replied. "Sorry, I never caught your name."

"Oh, geez! Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Emily Garcia," Emily replied as her face turned red with embarrassment.

"No worries, it's cool."

Emily giggled and turned her attention to Doug and Cody as they walked up to speak with her. Doug, after getting seeing Emily, held up a finger and walked over to the bike he was working on before he burned his hand. He wheeled the bike over to Emily to which she thanked him and went over to the desk to pay. While Doug was finishing business with Emily, Colin and Cody walked out to his bike and he hopped on.

"Good luck with your first gym battle man. You need to give me the details of the battle when you win," Cody said as he held up his fist.

"Will do, bro," Colin replied as he fist bumped Cody.

"Just be sure to shoot me a text or call me when you delivered the package."

"I will."

* * *

Cody clapped Colin on the shoulder and walked back inside the garage to continue working. Colin started his bike and was about to drive out of the lot and down the road but stopped when he heard a bike horn honk behind him. He turned to see Emily pull up beside him with a smirk.

"Hey, I know you just became a Pokémon trainer and that you are doing the badge run now. Do you mind if I travel to Minneapolis with you to the first gym?" Emily asked.

"Sure, I just have to make a quick stop when we get there. I have to drop this package off to a Jason Butler and then we can hit the gym," Colin replied.

"Jason Butler? I know who that is."

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's the gym leader for Minneapolis."

Colin was surprised to hear that bit of information and wondered if Cody knew that from the start and just wanted to surprise him when he delivered the box.

"No shit," Colin said as he readjusted his grip on his handles.

"Yep, he's the first gym leader for us beginning trainers," Emily said with a nod.

"Alright, that was all I needed to hear to get there quicker."

"So you're cool with me tagging along?"

Colin said nothing at first as he let her words linger and then turned to her with a cheeky smirk.

"I'm cool with it, just as long as you can keep up," Colin replied as he started his bike and sped off down the road.

"Oh it's on now, Campo!" Emily shouted after him.

Emily sped after Colin and quickly managed to get on his tail as she raced him out of the city.

* * *

Miles ahead of Colin and Emily, Scott Fowler was in the woods with Totodile to continue with their agenda. They finished their morning training and after Totodile recovered, they went through La Crosse to continue their journey to Minneapolis for their first gym badge. Although Scott was eager to get his first badge, he wanted to start capturing some Pokémon to build his team. He was sure Colin was already working on that to strengthen himself and he did not want him to get the edge.

Scott knew that the gym leader of Minneapolis was one that specialized in Ice-types and he knew that with Totodile there was no chance he would inflict the damage required to beat him. He had done some research to determine what Pokémon were on the road between the two states that could help benefit him for his upcoming battle. There were only a select few that he could find that would help, but they would easily help him accomplish his goal.

After Scott spent the past two hours searching through the woods for one the possible additions he wanted, he finally got his wish. He had come across a Growlithe, and a strong one to boot. Although Scott was getting annoyed with the amount of fight Growlithe was giving him and Totodile, he admired the tenacity it had and knew that if he caught it, he would have an additional strong Pokémon on his roster. Totodile was getting worn out from Growlithe's speed and quick attacks, but still managed to stay strong. Growlithe was definitely exhausted from the pressure Totodile and Scott put on him, but there was no way he was going to submit that easily.

"Totodile, use Water Gun, now!" Scott hollered.

Totodile took a deep breath as water built inside his mouth and released the strong jet at Growlithe. Growlithe dodged the attack with ease and charged at Totodile with quick speed. He lunged and his mouth opened wide as his teeth prepared to sink into Totodile again. Totodile was ready to dodge the attack, but Scott had other plans to end the battle.

"Totodile, take the attack!" Scott barked.

Totodile looked back at Scott with confusion and saw that his master was dead serious. He turned back to Growlithe and raised his arms as he closed eyes as he waited for the sharp canines to pierce his arm. The sharp teeth clamped down on Totodile's arm and he let out a loud cry of pain. Scott smirked as he prepared to seal the deal and capture Growlithe.

"Now use Water Gun!" Scott ordered.

Totodile's eyes snapped open as his mouth filled with water once again. Growlithe let go of his arm and attempted to jump away but he was too late. Totodile proved to be faster this time and sent the jet of water into Growlithe's side. Growlithe gave a yelp and hit soaked ground hard. Scott pulled out a Poké Ball and threw it at Growlithe.

The ball hit Growlithe on the side and bounced up and opened wide. Growlithe glowed red and was sucked into the ball and it snapped shut. The ball landed on the ground and began to wiggle as Growlithe struggled to escape its confines. It gave two more wiggles before it stopped and gave a click.

Scott walked over to the ball with Totodile and picked it up. He clipped the ball to his belt and looked down at Totodile to see him doing a little celebratory dance at the successful capture.

"Stop your dancing," Scott said as he looked down at him.

Totodile stopped and looked down at the ground after Scott said that. He then looked back up at Scott's eyes and could still see disappointment in them and knew once again that he failed to live up to his expectations.

"This is nothing to celebrate over. That took way too long and you are already winded," Scott berated.

Totodile flinched at the criticism Scott dealt him and could not understand why he was still unsatisfied with his performance.

"That fight should have ended early, especially since we had the type advantage on our side. Instead, just like with our battle against Campo, you could not take out Growlithe quick. You need to get faster with your attacks and your stamina is pitiful. We need to dish out some serious work before we face Jason in Minneapolis," Scott continued.

Totodile's shoulders slumped as Scott picked him apart piece by piece with his critique. Was that all he cared about? Just getting him stronger to beat everything he faced when the time came? In the back of his mind, Totodile wondered if Charmander was receiving similar treatment from Colin. Breaking free from his thoughts, he looked back up at Scott to see his calculating eyes bearing into him.

"We're done here," Scott said as he held up Totodile's ball and returned him to it.

Scott attached Totodile's ball to his belt and turned to head back to the road, but something was blocking his path. His eyes came into contact with Brianna Davis who was looking back at him with a neutral gaze and her arms were crossed. Her Chespin was mimicking her as he, too, stared at Scott.

"What are you doing here, Brianna?" Scott asked.

"We stopped to try and find a Pokémon to capture and that's when we noticed you and Totodile battling that Growlithe you just caught," Brianna replied.

"So what's with that look?"

"What look?"

"You're looking at me as though you have something to say."

Brianna was silent for a moment before unfolding her arms to reply to Scott.

"Don't you think you're being hard on Totodile? He fought pretty hard and was happy that he was able to help you capture Growlithe there, yet you degrade him for every little thing."

"You and Campo can train your Pokémon however you want and I will train mine the way I want to. Now if that's all you had to say, I wish you luck with catching whatever you came here to catch," Scott replied

"Scott, you should not belittle your Pokémon like that constantly. It can lead to them being emotionally scarred. They have feelings, too."

"That's where we differ. If you nurture them too much they will never reach their true strength. Being hard on Totodile is what it will take to give him the push he needs to be a strong Pokémon that can take on anything that comes his way."

"Is strength really more important than the wellbeing of your Pokémon?"

"Strength is all that matters. Without it you have no ambition to reach your true potential."

Brianna shook her head at Scott's words. She was not going to tell Scott how to raise his Pokémon since he was right with them having different views of training, but she would still speak her mind on something she felt he needed to know.

"You're right, your training style is different from mine and that's fine, but let me tell you something," Brianna said as she gave Scott a warning look.

"I'm listening," Scott replied.

"Don't forget to show your Pokémon compassion. If you want to be tough on them, that's one thing. Just don't forget to give them acknowledgement for their hard work to aid you. Pokémon are not just tools you can use, they have feelings. The way you are going about raising Totodile now, you will leave him emotionally crippled."

Scott said nothing as he continued staring at Brianna and Chespin. He walked by them and stopped to say some parting words.

"Risk is all a matter of control," Scott said in a low tone.

With that, Scott left Brianna and Chespin to dwell on his words.

* * *

**Alright, that's the chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it. I personally found my favorite bit to be the talk between Scott and Brianna. Anyway, like I said, I still need gym leaders. More OCs will come in later down the road as opposed to introducing them all off the bat and then no one cares about others but their own. **

**Colin's Party:**

**Charmander: Male: Moves: Ember, Scratch, Leer**

**Pikachu: Male: Moves: Thundershock, Quick Attack, Growl**

**Emily's Party:**

**(Unknown for now)**


End file.
